South Padre and Matagorda 5-18-09

South Padre (Lower Laguna Madre): I participated in the 9th Annual Shallow Sport Boat Owners Tournament in South Pade Island. I enjoyed myself fishing alongside Danny Neu, Jeff Neu, and Steve Osburn. We started our trip with a shotgun start from Louie's Backyard. The ant bed of at least a hundred Shallow Sport Boats expanded north. It was quite a sight.
The fishing went well for numbers. Steve and the Neu brothers had some nice fish pinned down but for one reason or the other we never succeeded in stringing the fish we were looking for. However, we did catch full limits of trout with five reds while wading knee cap depth flats with super spook juniors and 1/8 ounce gold spoons. Danny and Steve did well while wading and I rotated between wades with them and nearby drifts with Jeff. Both methods were effective. Kudos to Kyra and Wes Hudson for putting on a heck of a tournament and thanks to the Laguna Rods team for a wonderful experience as always.

Matagorda (West Matagorda): Lately, my fishing has taken place mostly in West Matagorda Bay. My most recent charter was with David Brown and Jason Barbee's group. The morning was rough with at least a 20 mph wind meeting us at the dock but after two wades, we finally tracked down a good bite. One wade was all it took to box a limit of specks to 25 inches. When I asked if they were ready for another wade, the group opted for trying for some reds in a nearby backlake. Fishing will continue to get better in East and West as winds simmer down into summer. Bait has been loaded over grassy areas on the south shoreline.

Matagorda Fishing Report 3-26-09

If you have not heard, the tail end of winter paid off big for several anglers looking for big bites from big fish. Trout up to 12 pounds have been reported. For the most part, it seems that East Matagorda has been quite similar to Baffin Bay this winter. Bites seem to have been less frequent but bigger fish have showed up to make up for the loss.

I'm seeing some nice things in West Matagorda Bay this year. Shrimp and pods of glass minnows are showing up. I am getting ready for another exciting summer of fishing and I hope you are too!